S
Spelunky
spelunkyworld.com
Roguelike cave-exploring platformer with procedurally generated levels; free original in 2008, HD remake in 2012.
diff ~/p/derek-yu ~/p/justin-stander
Derek Yu vs Justin Stander
Products, revenue & stack compared side by side.
Indie game designer behind Spelunky, Spelunky 2 and UFO 50, founder of Mossmouth
@mossmouth United States
Derek Yu vs Justin Stander at a glance
Both Derek Yu and Justin Stander are bootstrapped. They overlap in Indie Game Makers. Derek is based in Los Angeles, United States, Justin in United States. Derek started in 2002 and Justin in 2009. Derek Yu has 6 products listed on IndieMakerList vs Justin Stander's 2. They share 1 tool in their stacks: GameMaker. On X, Derek has about 59K followers and Justin about 50K.
Side-by-side comparison
- Based in
- Derek Yu: Los Angeles, United States
- Justin Stander: United States
- Started
- Derek Yu: 2002 (24 yrs indie)
- Justin Stander: 2009 (17 yrs indie)
- Revenue (self-reported)
- Derek Yu: Not public
- Justin Stander: Not public
- Products listed
- Derek Yu: 6
- Justin Stander: 2
- Product status
- Derek Yu: 6 active
- Justin Stander: 2 active
- X followers
- Derek Yu: 59K
- Justin Stander: 50K
- Style
- Derek Yu: bootstrapped
- Justin Stander: solobootstrapped
- Courses & resources
- Derek Yu: 3
- Justin Stander: —
Revenue figures are self-reported by each maker and not audited; dates and scope differ. Highlighted categories are shared by both.
Top products
Spelunky 2
mossmouth.com
Sequel to Spelunky set on the Moon, with deeper systems and online multiplayer.
UFO 50
50games.fun
Collection of 50 original single and multiplayer games styled as the library of a fictional 8-bit console maker.
Aquaria
bit-blot.com
Underwater exploration action-adventure co-created with Alec Holowka as Bit Blot.
Katana Zero
store.steampowered.com
Neo-noir action platformer about a time-manipulating samurai assassin.
500K copies in under a year
T
Tower of Heaven
askiisoft.com
Freeware precision platformer whose rules grow stricter as you climb.
Tech stack
1 shared tool, marked with ★: GameMaker. See the indie maker tech stack.
GameMaker (shared)
GameMaker (shared)
How they build
- Finishing a game matters more than starting one; protect momentum and cut scope to ship.
- Procedural generation and tight rules can create endless emergent stories.
- Make small prototypes and freeware first, then polish the ideas that stick.
- Building community around indie games helps everyone in the scene.
- Difficult but fair: players should own their mistakes.
- Never make players wait through dialogue.
- Polish every mechanic until it feels flawless.
Learn from Derek and Justin
- [book] Spelunky (Boss Fight Books)
- [template] Make Games essays
- [community] TIGSource forums
No courses, books or communities listed.
Derek Yu vs Justin Stander FAQ
Who makes more money, Derek Yu or Justin Stander?
Neither Derek Yu nor Justin Stander has publicly reported a revenue figure that IndieMakerList tracks, so it's not public.
Who has built more products, Derek Yu or Justin Stander?
Derek Yu has 6 products listed (including Spelunky, Spelunky 2 and UFO 50); Justin Stander has 2 products listed (Katana Zero and Tower of Heaven).
What tech stack do Derek Yu and Justin Stander use?
Derek Yu uses GameMaker. Justin Stander uses GameMaker. Tools they have in common: GameMaker.
Where are Derek Yu and Justin Stander based?
Derek Yu: Los Angeles, United States. Justin Stander: United States.
Who has been an indie maker longer, Derek Yu or Justin Stander?
Derek Yu started in 2002 (24 years indie); Justin Stander started in 2009 (17 years indie).
Are Derek Yu and Justin Stander bootstrapped?
Yes, both are listed as bootstrapped founders on IndieMakerList.
Full profiles
Read the full story, timeline and links on Derek Yu's profile and Justin Stander's profile.
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